stoomreforming

Stoomreforming, known in English as steam reforming, is a high-temperature catalytic process used to convert hydrocarbon feedstocks and steam into synthesis gas (syngas), a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide. The primary feedstock is methane from natural gas, though heavier hydrocarbons can be used after pretreatment. The resulting syngas serves as a key intermediate for hydrogen production and various petrochemical syntheses.

The process operates at about 700–1000°C and near-atmospheric to several tens of bar pressure. It is endothermic and typically conducted in reformer tubes containing nickel-based catalysts. Methane and steam react according to CH4 + H2O → CO + 3H2. In many plants, the gas undergoes a downstream water-gas shift (CO + H2O → CO2 + H2) to increase hydrogen yield and reduce CO content.

Industrial arrangements usually include a pre-reformer to handle heavier hydrocarbons, a primary reforming stage, and downstream gas processing. Heat is supplied externally by furnaces. The produced syngas can be purified to recover hydrogen, or diverted to further processing to produce ammonia, methanol, or other chemicals. An alternative variant is autothermal reforming, which combines partial oxidation with reforming.

Applications and implications: stoomreforming provides the principal route for large-scale hydrogen production, supplying refinery hydrotreating and hydrocracking, ammonia synthesis, and methanol manufacture. It is energy-intensive and emits CO2, though integrated carbon capture and storage can mitigate emissions. Catalyst coking and sulfur poisoning are operational concerns, and feedstock purity affects performance.